News

Cool Hand Luke Lifts Men’s Soccer Team To Dramatic Victory at Olivet

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

OLIVET—A dramatic goal by Calvin College senior Luke Holtrop with just 6:25 left in regulation lifted the nationally-ranked Calvin men’s soccer team to a 1-0 victory at Olivet Tuesday afternoon.

The goal by Holtrop snapped a scoreless drought of more than 200 minutes by the Knights as they were forced to settle for a 0-0 double-overtime time at Adrian last Friday. The goal by Holtrop was also the first allowed by Olivet in league play this fall.

The victory also snapped Olivet’s five-game winning streak and improved Calvin’s overall record to 7-1-1 and its league mark to 2-0-1. Tuesday’s contest featured a meeting of regionally-ranked teams as Calvin entered the match ranked second in the Central Region by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America while Olivet (6-3-0 overall, 2-1-0 MIAA) was ranked 10th.

Also ranked 15th nationally by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America and 17th by D3soccer.com, Calvin outshot Olivet 25-9 but could not dent the back of the net until the closing minutes of regulation when the Knights were awarded a corner kick that led to Holtrop’s game-winning goal. Using a quick restart on the corner, Calvin junior Scott Hooker (Hudsonville/Unity Christian HS) sent a ball to a teammate that was returned right back to the feet of Hooker. Hooker then fed Holtrop in the slot and Holtrop ripped a 15-yard shot that beat Olivet goalkeeper Ethan Felsing for Holtrop’s second goal of the year including the third game-winning goal of his collegiate career.

Earlier in the second half, Felsing denied Holtrop on a scoring chance as Holtrop connected on a header in the box that appeared headed for the top right corner of the net. Coming out of nowhere, Felsing was able to stab the ball away at the last moment to keep the game scoreless.

Felsing was superb for Olivet in defeat with nine saves but Calvin sophomore goalkeeper Jared Rushlau (Grandville/Grandville HS) was also up to the task, collecting five saves including a clutch stop on a shot by Olivet senior forward Mike May with two minutes to play. May was able to rip a shot from an awkard angle that Rushlau was able to deflect off the near goalpost. Rushlau quickly corralled the rebound as well to keep the Knights in the lead. Calvin also averted an Olivet scoring chance with 30 seconds to play, clearing out an Olivet corner kick sent into the box that had all 11 Olivet players up front around the Calvin goal.

The contest was the second of a rugged three-game road swing for the Knights who will journey to Albion on Saturday for a key 2:30 p.m. match.